Leadership Doesn't Stop When You Leave the Office
I don’t know a single person who stops being a leader when they leave the office.
If you’re a parent, you’re a leader. If you have a partner, you’re a leader. If you’re a caretaker, you’re a leader. If you have pets, you’re a leader. If you have a side business, you’re a leader. Even if you only have to answer to yourself, you’re still a leader.
For some reason, the term leadership has been resigned to the workplace, when in fact, leadership is at play all the time.
We practice leadership in the smallest moments
Your child is melting down and you have to regulate yourself before helping them. That’s leadership.
You need to have a difficult conversation with your partner. That’s leadership.
You realize you’ve been saying yes too much and need to set better boundaries. That’s leadership.
Someone disappoints you/lets your down and now you need to decide how to respond. That’s leadership.
You’re exhausted and decide to rest instead of push harder. That’s leadership.
You have a goal but no one is holding you accountable to it. That’s leadership.
You need to prioritize what matters most when everything feels important. That’s leadership.
Our leadership style follows us around
You are leading all the time. And just because these examples don’t happen in an office setting doesn’t mean they don’t matter. In fact, they require the same skills that we associate with traditional leadership roles.
Self-awareness, boundaries, emotional regulation, decision-making, accountability, empathy, courage, agility, adaptability.
We don’t become a different person when we leave the office. The way we handle conflict, decision-making, stress, etc. comes with us. What we practice at home often shows up at work, and what we practice at work often shows up at home.
Life is constantly giving us opportunities to practice and refine our leadership style.
You don’t need a corner office. You don’t need a huge team. You don’t need a specific title.
You are already leading.
The question then becomes, ‘How intentionally are you doing it?”